Inns & Taverns of Mystara: Rifllian, Grand Duchy of Karameikos AC 1000
by Michael DiehmHere is the third part of a description of Mystara's many colourful inns and taverns by the irrepressible Haxum Wright, a well-travelled swashbuckler late of Selenica.
"On our travel along Windrush Road we narrowly escaped a bandit ambush. Bruised and exhausted, we limped into the small Callarii trading town of Rifllian."
The Silver Swan Inn
"Shastri insisted we pay a visit to an inn on the north side of town called 'The Silver Swan'. The establishment was a respectable two-storey wooden building, much the same as the other buildings in town come to think of it. We were heartily greeted by the proprietor, Stubbs Platterman, a halfling. Well that explains Shastri's eagerness, I chuckled to myself. The whole place was extremely well kept and the patrons were very orderly. Shastri wasted no time in ordering his beloved tea and scones. For myself, some fine elven wine and a hearty halfling platter of various delights.
The patrons were mainly local elves and human travellers. They largely kept to themselves and enjoyed their meals. Stubbs was very talkative, however, and an excellent host. In between stories of the beauty of the Shires, Stubbs informed us that we had most probably been ambushed by the Scange, a group of bandits terrorising Windrush Road.
Although my dwarven companion, Jai Stronghollow, complained that the inn was too expensive, we decided to spend the night at Stubbs' establishment. Well, I decided to step out for the evening to see Rifllian at night."
DM Notes
Location: Northern section of town
Innkeeper: Stubbs Platterman
Patrons: Local elves, travellers
Quality: Good
Prices: 20% higher than normal; Room 6gp/night
Claim to Fame: Sizeable menu choice
Source: Night's Dark Terror (B10)
Flickertail Inn
"Well Rifllian nightlife was looking staggeringly dull, until I stumbled across an inn on the south side of town. Once again it was a two-storey wooden building, but it was rowdy with rough-looking drunken humans carrying on outside the establishment. Mercenaries by the look of them. As I came to their attention a number of wolf whistles and other unsavoury comments about my lack of manliness were hurled in my direction. Hmm, time for a strategic withdrawal, but I will have the last laugh."
DM Notes
Location: South side of town
Innkeeper: Hershafan (elf)
Patrons: Mercenaries, riverboat crews, Captain Scylla of the Mudlark
Quality: Average
Room Cost: 1gp/night
Source: Tainted Sword (Novel)
"The next night in the wee hours of the morning I returned to the Flickertail Inn. This time I used my locksmith skills to slip in round the back into the keg room. Carefully, I emptied the contents of my satchel into each keg. As I made my way back to the Silver Swan, I could not help but chuckle at the thought of all those tough mercenaries, jostling each other on their frequent and painful trips to the outhouse as the laxatives came into effect.
Jai the dwarf refused to stay a minute longer in the elven town and so we departed for Karameikos' heartland city, Kelvin.